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Grimsby Beach – Gingerbread Houses Of The Great White North

Canada· Inspirations

Do you remember reading fairytales as a child and glancing at the illustrations of houses in the forest? The cosy little hamlets with gentle wisps of smoke billowing from the chimneys. The soft orange glow, filtering out of the neatly dressed windows. Do you remember wanting that to be a real place that you could visit and get that childlike feeling inside all over again? What if I told you there is a place, and it goes by the name Grimsby Beach.

Large two storey gingerbread house and gardens. Lawns, flowers, trees and a 1940s car is parked next to the house on a driveway

Some of the cosy little cabins here are decorated like gingerbread houses, and it is fantastic!

Two gingerbread cottage. Both two storey. Porches and verandas on both. Garden path is flat with large pieces of stone slabs in an informal pattern
Gingerbread Cottages

We first stumbled upon this small neighbourhood by sheer accident back in 2015 and have visited it several times since.

“Bellview” – the yellow house
Bellview is a two-storey wooden gingerbread style house. Picket fence in the front with a wooden roast arch over the main pathway leading to the house. The house as covered porch and the second floor has a balcony.
The sideview of Bellview showing another entrance into the house.. Above the door there is one single window and the roof is pitched
Bellview with picket fence, rose Marchand flower gardens. Both the front and side of the house are visible
Bellview and gardens

Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, in Ontario Canada, Grimsby Beach is the closest we have come to that fairytale village so far. The colourful paint and frills along the rooflines, porch railings windows and anywhere else they fit make these houses incredibly charming.

GRIMSBY BEACH HISTORY

Grimsby Park, as it was once known, started as a park for the Methodist Church in the Hamilton district in 1846. It was a place where individuals camped and came to socialise and attend the temple to worship.

This 1890 photo shows the Park House Hotel on the Grimsby Beach, with the massive structure of the Temple rising behind it. The temple, which could accommodate thousands of people, was demolished in 1922.
This 1890 photo shows the Park House Hotel on the Grimsby Beach, with the massive structure of the Temple rising behind it. The temple, which could accommodate thousands of people, was demolished in 1922. – Grimsby Public Library
All that remains is a stone marker of where the temple one stood in a grass circle now a round-about for cars in residential area of Grimsby Beach
All that remains is a marker of where the temple once stood
Two gingerbread houses. Brightly decorated A picket fence is in front of the two-storey houses and there are trees.
Summer in the circle

Over the years the camp began expanding, and they needed to find more space. A stream was damned for access to fresh water and to drain a small bog. They then rerouted the stream to make a heart-shaped moat to pass through the newly emptied, Bell Park. That park would soon become the heart of the community.

Old photo c 1888 of people and children standing in a park by a kiosk. Gingerbread houses to the left, on right large tree with two ladies sitting on a bench. Everyone is facing the camera
Kiosk and park c1888.

unusual incident

Its name came about because of an unusual incident. In 1884 a bell was commissioned to hang in the temple. However, when it arrived, it was too heavy for the structure. So they built a platform and placed it where it still resides today.

  • Wooden steps leading up to large bell on the Original wooden platform c1890 at Grimsby Beach
    Original wooden platform c1890
  • Large bell on concrete platform with two large stone step. In a park with a few trees in winter
    Old bell – all that remains

In 1875 permanent cottages replaced tents and Grimsby Beach became more of a community for education and recreation.

In 1910 the significant change happened, the park had been failing, but there was hope. A new owner, Harry Wylie, brought the park into the modern era. He had carousels put in, a motion picture theatre and a figure 8 roller coaster. He dismantled the large wooden fence that kept the rest of the community out of the park, built a dance hall, and changed the Grand Avenue into The Midway.

Grimsby Beach in the 1920s. It is the Midway of the Grimsby Beach amusement park era. It shows a dirt walkway down the middle with small buildings on both sides. One of the buildings is marked Photo Studio. There are a few people pictured standing on the walkway and in front of the buildings.
Photo courtesy Grimsby Chautauqua

Once you left the train station and headed towards the beach, you would pass the dance hall, shooting gallery and the figure 8 roller coaster. Then the merry-go-round and the motion picture theatre, a fish pond, photo booth, souvenir shop and restaurant. He completely transformed the park.

Small replica of The Temple c1890 in a park with trees and a seating bench in winter. There's a small single storey newer building to the far right
A small replica of The Temple c1890

THE END IS NEAR

Canada Steamship Lines bought the park from Mr Wylie in 1916; however, the fun was nearing an end. By the 1920s the steady stream of patrons started declining and several fires took down many wooden structures. In 1949, the attractions began closing down, and developers started buying up parcels of land for development.

Twin funnel Steamer Turbinia c1916 docking at pier with people walking on pier
Steamer Turbinia c1916

GRIMSBY BEACH TODAY

Today that Grimsby Park is a distant memory. The once-proud pier that full passenger steamships would dock to large awaiting crowds now crumbles away battered by the waves of Lake Ontario.

Black and white old picture of Steamer docking at pier c1909-1919. People are milling about on the shore of the beach and along the pier
Pier c1915 - 1919 filled with dozens of people walking and standing viewing the lake. Canoes and small boats with people in them on the Lake. The shore has small beach houses with more people and decorative flags hang fluttering in the wind
Pier c 1915 – 1919
  • Old picture early 1900s of holiday makers sitting and standing on a moee sandy Grimsby Beach. There is also a canoe on the beach.
  • Stoney beach with driftwood on shore of Lake Ontario. Trees line the beach side

The large temple that could hold thousands, and large bell that rang out for church and fires only, stand no longer.

The two large hotels have long since burned down.

A crowd of people relaxing on the porch and lawn of the Lake View House Hotel. The second floor balcony is visible and part of the third floor. The porch is grand-looking with many columns. People standing and sitting on the lawn and it has a direct view of Lake Ontario. There is a man with his bicycle on the lawn as well.
Lake View House Hotel
Old postcard picture c 1890 of the Park House hotel near the shore of Grimsby Beach Three storey wooden building with large veranda. Two people are walking on the path leading to step of veranda and a few others just visible on porch. There is a row of tall trees infront of the hotel
Park House c1890

All that remains today are the historic cottages. And most people living there now may not even know the history. 

Old black and white picture c1946 of a man in winter coat with peek cap on standing in the centre of Grimsby Beach main entrance as it was. The two pillars wither side of the entrance support the sign which goes across the roadway. Winter scene with snow on the ground and many trees.
Main Entrance – c1946
Driveway from road. Either side are the remains of the original two entrance pillars to Grimsby Beach
Main Entrance today

Some additions have been made that don’t fit the gingerbread-style house, which is a shame. If you’re going to move into that type of neighbourhood, you should continue on the tradition of lavish paints and decorative accents or, in our opinion, live somewhere else. 

WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK of grimsby beach

Taking a stroll around this cute little neighbourhood won’t take you very long. But it will stay with you for quite some time. If you have a free afternoon, walk down the narrow streets, enjoy the fresh air and quaint gardens.

Grimsby Beach
Wooden sign with large different coloured wooden stakes looking like pencils. Wooden sign with words Grimsby Park. Behind a wooden picket fence and shrubs
Grimsby Park
Approximately twenty wooden bird boxes varying in shapes and sizes displayed randomly on the side wall of small building in someones garden
An array of bird boxes
Iron Peacock decorative ornament standing in garden under a tree in winter
Iron peacock
Gingerbread style cottage with large front porch. Wide stone steps as garden path leading from road to porch and entrance of house. House has pitched roof, is heavily decorated with wooden cutouts on porch overhang
Gingerbread house
Garden trellis fence with taller supporting fence posts. Grass verge. Behind fence large flowers are in bloom, shrubs and trees making it appear mystical
Mystical garden

Listen to Lake Ontario lap up on the rocky shoreline near the old pier and let the beauty embrace you. 

Wooden steps leading from wooded trail down to the lake shoreline in winter
Steps to the beach
Ruins of concrete pier from stoney shore onto Lake Ontario at Grimsby Beach Ontario
Remaining pier
Wooded trail along shoreline of Lake Ontario at Grimsby Beach in the winter time
The trail along the shoreline

IN A NUTSHELL

  • Free
  • Free parking by Community Centre on Grand Avenue
  • Private homes – please respect their privacy
  • Leave no trace. Pack it in – pack it out
  • Enjoy wandering around this picturesque neighbourhood and beachfront

location map

Areal view road map of Grimsby Beach - Ontario
MORE PLACES OF INTEREST IN ONTARIO

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jane F says

    Hey Andrea and Steve — congrats on the blog. I’ve read through several of your destinations now and thoroughly enjoyed the commentary and pictures. I didn’t know all that about Grimsby – very interesting back story.

    I have a good friend who is a full-time traveller/blogger and I’ve been able to live vicariously through the adventures if he and his partners (he’s been doing it full time for about 15 years now).

    A couple of ideas you might want to consider:
    – Set up the ability for readers to “subscribe” by email and which would then notify your subscribers of any new blog postings. More readers/more affiliate clicks/potential revenue stream.
    – Set up a general comments section like this that isn’t linked to a specific story so people can post general remarks or just say “hey”.

    I’ll watch for new posts and look forward to reading! Happy trails! Jox

    Reply

    • Andrea and Steven says

      Hi Jane
      Thanks for your support and the suggestions.
      We are in the process of setting up a subscribers email. Hope you’ll be one of the first to sign up.
      As far as affiliates are concerned, we have added a few. We don’t want to be another blog which has loads of adverts. So we are only recommending companies that we personally use. It’s a slow process!
      I believe people can put a general comment on our home page. Let me know if it works!
      We will also be adding a FB page and Instagram plus people are able to pin on Pinterest.
      Thank you again, and we are so happy that you have enjoyed our adventures so far. There are many more to come

      Reply

  2. Ainsley says

    Hello! I’m doing some research into Grimsby beach and its history for a project that I’m hoping to complete in the future. I found your article absolutely fascinating and very helpful. I was just wondering where you received all your information present in this article? I can’t seem to find much information online about Grimsby beach’s history and any amount of information would be appreciated.
    Thanks for your time!
    Ainsley

    Reply

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